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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Diversity and accessibility are highly valued at The City

The City of Calgary is built on a
foundation of compassion and care for its citizens, no matter what their various
backgrounds and abilities. Making this a great city for everyone is paramount
to all of us.

On this 21st Annual
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), we at The City recognize
and celebrate our differences as we strive to make our services accessible to
all, including those with mobility challenges.

“We are leading the way, in many
respects, when it comes to providing accessibility to persons with disabilities,”
says Leanne Squair, Issues Strategist, Access & Disability Issues with The
City. “I’m excited about what we’ve accomplished and our plans for the future,
such as installing Tactile and Braille lettering on garbage and recycling carts
for people with visual disabilities.

“The theme for this year’s IDPD on
December 3 is ‘Break barriers, open doors: for an inclusive society for all,’
and that’s just want we aim to do.”

The City of Calgary’s Council Advisory Committee on Accessibility
(ACA) serves to provide
advice on issues that impact the needs of people with disabilities, including
how to make buildings, transportation and services accessible for City
employees and citizens.

Accessibility Highlights for 2013:

Calgary increased the number of accessible taxis to 168 and provided more accessible buses and C-Trains.

There were 38 captioning sessions at City Council meetings, public hearings and budget deliberations – for people experiencing hearing loss, English as a second language and those with cognitive and learning challenges.

Another 18 audible pedestrian signals for people with vision loss were installed to bring the total to 140.